When the world comes back
by aoife91
Summary: Hermione is at the ball on her last night at Hogwarts. Will she get that dance with the one she loves? Originally a one shot but NEW CHAPTER ADDED!
1. Here and now, dancing

She looked up at the sky, through the enchanted ceiling and sighed. Her final night at Hogwarts, a ball, people talking and laughing and dancing around her. Yet she sat and though.

Thought of sixth year, and her romance with Ron. How she had loved him, still loved him, and yet he did not love her. They had remained friends though. No point not to, not Ron's fault he didn't love her. She looked at him across the table and smiled. He smiled back, then said: "A dance, Ms. Granger?" She replied: "Why of course, Mr. Weasly." She grinned and stood up. The song was a fast dancey song, and they began a rather funny twist of sorts. People stood back to watch, and also out of fear of being hit.

Hermione felt she was having fun for the first time all night, just dancing with a boy she loved, her best friend. When the song ended, her other best friend, Harry Potter came up and asked for a dance. Her love for Harry was purely brotherly. Besides, Harry and Ginny were so in love.

"You still love him, don't you?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, but i have moved on too," she smiled at him. She knew there was no future for Ron and herself as anything other than friends, and although she loved him, she valued his friendship more than anything.

"So, who else takes the interest of Ms. Granger?" Harry asked playfully.

She just smiled and looked down. They would never understand who she now longed for, more than Ron, more than anyone. It was too complicated, too much to comprehend. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she could not help it. She loved how orderly and strict he was, much like himself. She loved what that he was like her in a way, misunderstood sometimes. She knew, however, that her love was not returned. And so, as she had done with Ron, she moved on.

But it was different. She could not move on from him. She felt that if her and Ron were together today she would still feel this, no matter how much she loved Ron. This was strong, fiery, passionate love, but it was sweet, soft, gentle love. Bitter, burning desire, yet cold, hard truth. There was nothing she could do. She was hopelessly, completely lost in him.

When she finished dancing with Harry, he smiled then returned to Ginny. Across the hall, Ron was, eh, "busy" with Luna Lovegood. She smiled at his happiness, and it felt as though she was finally at peace with her feelings for Ron. Then she turned and saw him. And he was looking at her. And coming toward her. And taking her hands. And pulling her close. And dancing with her.

For Hermione, it felt like the world had stopped. It didn't matter that people would see and not understand. There was here and now, him and her, dancing. They would worry about the world when the world came back.

This was the most special part of Hermione's life, in the great hall of Hogwarts, on her last night at school, dancing with Severus Snape.

**A/N: I've had people saying I should continue this, what do you think? I'm not sure, it was originally a one-shot, but if you want I can continue... Let me know!**


	2. Part Two: Snape

**Originally a one shot, but was asked to continue, so...**

It was the last night at Hogwarts. Snape sighed and looked through the enchanted ceiling. He was thinking of a certain Gryffindor who ould be leaving the school tomorrow, for good, perhaps. He wished he had courage enough to request a dance. It was, after all, a ball.

But he was afraid. It was not often he was afraid. He had double crossed Voldemort, after all. But with simple social things, he was terrified. What would people think if they saw him, head of Slytherin house, Professor Severus Snape, hater of Gryffindors, dancing with Hermione Granger, Head Girl, epitome of Gryffindor-ness? They would talk surely. No, best this way.

And what if she rejected his offer of a dance? That would be too terrible. It was best if he just left it the way it was. A student-teacher relationship, a Slytherin-Gryffindor relationship. She would be gone tomorrow, then he could forget. Then he could forget.

"Severus," said Dumbledore. He sometimes wondered if Dumbledore could read minds. "My dear boy, just ask her to dance! If she says no, you never see her again, if she says yes, you get your dance! Nothing can go wrong!" His eye twinkled. He had a way of making even the most stubborn mule see sense.

He looked across the dance floor, and saw her. Dancing with Potter. His date, the youngest Weasley, was tangoing with her brother, and people looked on in fear and amusement. Harry and Hermione were talking about something, when...

Her eyes met his. Potter was gone back to that Ginny girl. Hermione was looking right at him. He stood and walked across the hall. A million thoughts ran through his head as he trod that path leading up to her, but he could never remember a single one. He took her hand and pulled her close, looking right into her eyes. At that moment he didn't notice anyone staring, whispering, nothing. He just noticed the browness of her eyes, the smell of her perfume,t he warmth of her body, the flush in her cheeks.

He had never felt so happy in all his life. It was mixed up and strange and different and new, but it was somehow right. Hermione was right. And he knew what he had to do. He would not forgive himself if he didn't.

"Do you want to know something?" she whispered suddenly.

"Yes," he breathed back.

"I think I might love you," she couldn't meet his eyes as she said this. He felt his heart soar, the shiver in his spine, the delight in his stomach. But he kept his face passive, serene.

"Hermione..." he said, tilting her face up to his. He kissed her then, a sweet, passionate, gentle kiss. It said more than words ever could, but he knew she still needed words. That was her way, never happy until it was said, or taught, or in writing.

"I think I might love you too." he said simply. Then he lifted her hand up and bowed to reach it, kissed it, and turned and walked away.

People swear that on that night, Snape smiled his first smile.

**A/N: If you want, i could continue on, make a reunion, you know, but only if you want me to! **

**Thanks to my reviewers, I didn't think I'd even get one, but already I've got a few:)**


	3. Part Three: Journey

It had been three years since that night at the Hogwarts ball. Hermione thought about it all the time. Sure, she had tried to get over him, had dated other guys but she just couldn't She couldn't stop thinking about him and she couldn't stop the pain she felt that they had never had a chance. The way he had told her he loved her, then just turned and walked away. She knew he had good reason, but it had still hurt so much. She loved him, she _loved _him, and he had said he loved her.

Why? she often wondered. Why did he love her? Sure, they had become close while working for the Order. There was that one night, when he had arrived back, wounded and grey faced. She had been assigned the task of nursing him back to health. She had learned a lot about him during that time. So much pain in his past, so many different things she had never known...

She had, at first, pitied him, but she learned not to. Why bother? He had moved on from his past, and was, though he didn't seem it, a happy person.

After she stopped feeling sorry for him, she began to love him. His mannerisms, his obscure but very good sense of humour. The way he got impatient easily. the way he never smiled properly, but his eyes seemed to light up...

Hermione sighed and looked around. She picked up her suitcase and stepped outside. She was going back to the man she loved. Whether he loved her back was a different story.

The train ride passed surprisingly quickly. Hermione simply stared out the window, watching the rain come down. Her thoughts were on what she was to say when she arrived. She would have to see Dumbledore first. He was, of course, still Headmaster. It surprised many people when he turned down the postition as Minister for Magic after the defeat of Voldemort. What surprised people was how full of life and vitality he still was at such an old age.

But after her visit with her old Headmaster and friend, she would have to do what she came here to do. She would have to talk to Snape.

'What should I say?' she asked herself. 'I could be blunt...Do you still love me? No, it just isn't proper. Why didn't you say goodbye, properly? Why didn't you stay with me? Why tell me you love me, then just turn and walk away? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair!'

She truly loved him, with all her heart. She still remembered the feeling of dancing with him, and his eyes looking into her. Their one kiss, she could still feel lhis lips on hers. And when he said it, when he told her he loved her... She thought everything was going to plan. But he just walked away. Just turned and left her, alone.

Sure, he must have had reason, but what reason is good enough to keep love apart? So she had began to wonder... Maybe he didn't love her? Maybe he pitied her, so said it to make her happy, then left, so as not to start anything un-necessary. But that didn't seem like him. He didn't pity people, like he didn't pity himself. He must have meant what he said. It was all so confusing, so she had come for answers.

All too soon, she was getting off the train. She wondered how to get to the actual castle from the train station, and watched what other's were doing. They were getting into the old carriages her and her friends had taken to the castle when they attended the school. She smiled fondly at the thestrals she could now see. You don't live through a war against Voldemort, and not see people die. So, she clambered into a carriage and sat, once more, staring out the window.

The Hogwart's grounds looked just as they had in the past. Hagrid's hut, the Forbidden Forest, the lake... It all brought back a lot of memories for her. She shook her head, to clear it. There were important things to be done, she couldn't waste time reminiscing on things.

The lights were on in the old castle. When the carriages came to a stop, she picked up her one suitcase, and stepped outside. Walking up the great stone steps, she began to get nervous. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She came to the Entrance Hall, and was thankful that it was so late. She couldn't have beared walking in at dinner, all those faces staring, and him...

Walking through the empty Great Hall was quite strange. the silence, with only the sound of her footsteps couldn't help but make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It seemed so different, so much bigger, than from her days at Hogwarts. But time does have that effect on you.

As she was walking down the corridors, students stared at her and pointed, whispering to each other. She came to Dumbledore's office, then realised she had no idea what the password was.

"Sherbert Lemon?" she tried. "Sugar Quill... Cockroach cluster... Droobles Best Blowing Gum... Oh, please, just open? Chocolate Frog! Ice Mice! Acid lolly!"

"Ms. Granger?" said a voice behind her. "Do you care to explain why you are trying to break into my office?"

**A/N: Ok so I hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought, whether it's good or bad! I'll update again soon! **

**Purpledinosaur xxx**


	4. Part Four: Dumbledore

Severus Snape walked through the corridors of Hogwarts. How he hated night duty! But still, it gave him a time to think without being interrupted by students (Except for the defiant few who ventured out of bed at night.). Most of his thoughts were of simple things. Which potion to make with the third years, who he wanted in his N.E.W.T level class, that sort of thing. But some nights... Some nights he let himself remember.

This particular night, he was thinking of making a simple sleeping draught with the first years, when his thoughts drifted back, to days when Lord Voldemort returned. He was defeated by Harry Potter, but we payed dearly. Neville Longbottom, a fool though he was, he fought bravely and died in battle. Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, they died the night he attacked the school. And the teachers! McGonnagal, Sprout, Flitwick and Hagrid, all died, along with countless others.

He sighed. Those times reminded him of something else. He remembered Number 12 Grimmauld Place and smiled. He gave in to his thoughts. Hermione Granger, meddlesome, smart, pretty and somewhat shy. How he loved her. She had helped him when he was hurt, she had listened to him speak of his past, and yet, when he asked her not to pity him, she didn't. She seemed to understand, when no one else could.

It was silly, he thought, to think of things that could never happen. Yet hee sometimes thought about the possibility... What if he hadn't turned and left, that night, at the ball? But it was absurd! He had to go! She ws young, she didn't know what she wanted, they would both get hurt.

Still... He wondered.

He shook his head fiercely, as though trying to shake her out. It didn't do well to dwell on the past. He would never see her again.

He turned a corner and saw her, trying to get into the Headmasters Office. He swiftly moved himself backwards, where she couldn't see him if she turned, and watched her go through a series of guessed passwords. He didn't know what to do, should he talk to her? No! He couldn't! At least, not yet.

"Severus," said the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster," he said, surprised, "Er, Sir, there's someone here to see you," he lowered his eyes to the floor, as Dumbledore's blue eyes were boring into him.

"Really?" he said in mild amusement, and he looked around the corner, "Oh! Hermione Granger, how lovely!"

Snape mumbled something incomprehensible. He was really just making a noise.

"Severus," said Dumbledore, in a gentle, serious tone. "Go talk to her. I know you love her."

Snape looked up, his eyes wide with shock. He moved his mouth up and down a few times, but no sound came out. Then he pulled himself together.

"Headmaster, I can't talk to her." he almost pleaded, "Just give me some time, and I will talk to her I swear."

Dumbledore surveyed him, then said: "Fine. I will talk to her now. You sleep well tonight, and be ready to talk to her tomorrow. Goodnight."

Snape watched him go to Ms. Granger, and give her quite a fright, then he hurried to his room.

**!Back to Hermione!**

"Proffessor Dumbledore!" she said, smiling at him. He smiled back at her. She was obviously restraining herself from throwing her arms around the old man.

"I think we should go into my office and talk, don't you Ms. Granger?" he said, his eyes twinkling, as they usually did.

"Yes, right, Proffessor," she grinned sheepishly at him.

"Coconut Cactus," he said, and the gargoyle sprung to life to let them pass. "It's a new sweet, and quite delicious." he said to Hermione, in reference to the 'Coconut Cactus'.

They took seats in his office. Hermione looked around. Still looked the same, except for one or two new additions. The tiny magical clock on his desk, the round mirror on the opposite wall that was completely blank, these things hse did not recognise. Fawkes the phoenix was, of course, still there.

"So, Hermione," he said gently, "What brings you to Hogwarts?" He knew already of course. Hermione knew he knew, but he would still make her tell him, in her own terms.

"I came to see Proffessor Snape, sir," she said, and then she looked at the ground, waiting for him to say more.

**A/N: Ok, sorry, it's a bit cliff-hanger-y, but I have to shower, i'm going to town, so I'll update soon, ok? Enjoy!**


	5. Part 5: Confrontation

Dumbledore and Hermione arranged for her to stay for a few nights in the Room of Requirement. It was the obvious choice. She walked there quickly and quietly on her first night back at Hogwarts - She didn't want to run into anyone.

She slept like a rock that first night, although she was so nervous. She had to face him the next day, and she had no idea what to do, what to say, anything. But she put it out of her mind. It was silly to be nervous. He was a person, just like her. She was just going to talk to him. Nothing to be nervous about.

The next morning, breakfast was almost unbearable. All the students stared at her as she took a seat at the end of the teachers table. He wasn't there yet, thank God. She couldn't face him here, in front of everyone. She wanted to speak to him privately, so she decided she would aske him for a chat when he came in for breakfast.

Except he didn't come in for breakfast.

So she went to his office to find him. She knocked, but no answer. She knocked again, louder. Still nothing. She was getting worried. So she walked in whispering "Severus?" The office was empty, but there was an open door on the far wall. She began to get a sickly, worried feeling in her stomach. What if something has happened, just when she came back? Where was he? Please let him be ok... Please...

She crossed the room, it seemed to take a lifetime. She pushed the door open, and saw him... Slumped over his chair, unconscious. Her heart stopped. Her breath caught. Her eyes watered. Her stomach dropped. She felt every bad, sad, hurt, angry emotion one could feel at one time. She felt the first tear fall, as she rushed to him. She sat him up and desperately tried to wake him.

"Severus! Severus, come on, I've come to talk to you, to tell you... I still love you. Oh God, no, you can't leave me, not without me knowing whether there was hope for us, not without knowing how you feel! Wake up... wake up!" she shook him and called him, but nothing. So she rushed to the hospital wing, screaming for help. Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore and a new proffessor Hermione didn't know all followed her to Snape's office.

"He's alive, but in bad condition. It looks like..." Madam Pomfrey trailed off.

"What?" demanded Hermione.

"Well, it looks a little like a suicide attempt." she tried to say this as quickly and nicely as possible, but it still hurt like hell. Dumbledore looked especially shocked.

Hermione went back to the room of requirement in shock. Why would he do that? Madam Pomfrey told her to come back around five-ish to see if he was awake. She had to prepare herself, mentally, for what was about to come. She couldn't deny that she was definitely nervous now. The man looked as though he had just attempted suicide and she was going to tell him she loved him. How was she supposed to NOT feel nervous?

She sighed and hugged her knees. She jumped up quite suddenly out of frustration. She needed to get out of this room. The door swung open, after seeing what she "required". She walked down to the lake where she had spent many summer days sitting, reading, studying... And, what people didn't know, many nights, alone, thinking of a certain potions proffessor. She was never caught out of bed, she was lucky.

She picked her favourite spot under her favourite tree and sat and watched the lake. She got so lost in her own thoughts she lost all track of time. Before she knew it, it was completely dark, any light of the day, long gone. She sighed and headed to the hospital wing, for what she knew would be an eventful conversation, whether it was to be for good or bad reasons, she didn't know.

"Ah, Hermione," he said, as she entered, "They said you would come." His voice was soft and sorrowful, almost, his eyes the same as they had been all those years ago.

"Why didn't you stay with me? Why did you just walk away at the end of the dance?" she blurted, before she could stop herself, "Why tell me you love me, then just leave, without any explanation? And why try and kill yourself?" It all came pouring out of her.

"Your last question, I will answer first," he said, his voice now sounding so sad. "I did NOT try and kill myself. I was tying to take a simple sleeping draught, but I seem to have taken the wrong potion."

"Oh," she said simply.

"Alas, your other questions, I can not answer," he said, looking her straight in the eye, for the first time.

"What? Why?" she said. It was so confusing for her, and it hurt her too, couldn't he see?

"Because, Hermione, I do not know the answers," a hint of a sad kind of smile played on his lips. "I do not know why I did not stay with you, to see what would happen. I may have been afraid? Or worried? But I regret it everyday. I wish I had stayed with you, because I did love you. Do love you."

It was so un-Snape like, yet she knew it was him. She remembered the man she knew, that not many others did. She felt all the worry rush out of her, and the first tears of happiness sting her eys. She sighed, and went to his bed, climbing in beside him and resting her head on his chest.

"And I love you," she said. She closed her eyes, and felt calmness she had never felt before. In the arms of the man she loved.

**A/N: Ok, I'm warning you, if you like stories with happy endings STOP HERE! The next chapter's the last, and it ends in tragedy! Sorry! But i'm warning you!**

**Purpledinosaur xxx**


	6. Part Six: Forever?

Hermione woke the next morning and was shocked to feel plain pillow beneath her head. Where was he? Where was Severus? She sat up abruptly, and saw Dumbledore sitting at the end of her bed, looking rather sombre. Something was wrong. Dumbledore had lost the twinkle in his eye. Something was very wrong. hermione felt the tears forming.

"Dumbledore..." she started, but he just looked at her.

"Hermione, I am very sorry..." he said, and she knew. She let all the tears escape her, sobbing until she couldn't breathe. Dumbledore tried to comfort her, but it was useless. She was hysterical. In the end, Madam Pomfrey gave her a sleeping potion. She struggled and screamed and kicked, but soone everything went dark and she was asleep, dreamless sleep, darkness everywhere, no thoughts, no sorrow, nothing. Then she dreamed. Oh, she dreamed.

He was there, right in front of her. She reached out, her fingers grazing his robes. He smiled a little, but a tear dripped down his face. She had never seen him cry before, never display so much emotion before. He reached out his hand, but it went right through her. She didn;t understand. What was he telling her. She stepped to him, but the closer she got, the more he faded away. She cried out for him, but she knew it was no good. It was a long time before he was gone completely. She sat down on the darkness of her dream and cried into her hands, watching her tears. They were all different sizes, falling below her into oblivion. WHy didn't she fall? He was holding her... But he wasn't there...

It was a long time before she woke up. She had no tears left to cry, only a heavy stone where her heart once was.

"How?" she said. She couldn't muster up enough effort to speak properly.

"The potion he took... It was poison. He knew he would die. It was probably painless." Dumbledore explained softly. Hermione cried then, again. He knew he would die, yet did not tell her. She supposed he thought it better that way. She sighed little sighs of sorrow, her eyes sore and red, her ears making a funny rining noise, the sheer pain of it all exhausting her.

Later in the afternoon she went to his office, to take something, for herself. Anything to remind her of him. His office looked as though he may still be there, in the back room, or gone to get something from the kitchens. The fire was still lit, though goin gout. His papers were a little messed, his shelf of unusual potion ingredients still stood, even his cloak was draped on the back of his chair. She felt like crying all ove agin, but swallowed the lump in her throat. She wouldn't cry again, here, now. Not now.

She picked up the cloak from the back of the chair and held it to her face. It still smelt like him, his particular scent of ink, parchment, potions ingredients and a slight lingering smell of aftershave. She took this with her, and one other thing. A small book in the top drwer of his desk. It was blank, except the very middle page. The middle page was full of straight lines. She didn't know why, but it was nice to have mystery. She knew that this was to be hers also. Something to remind her of his orderly, strict ways. The notebook and his cloak.

She left that day, not wanting to stay in the castle anymore, not alone. On the train home she took an empty compartment and wrapped herself in his cloak, eventually falling asleep.

His smell made her dream that she was back in his arms, as she was the night before. Only the dream didn't ended with him gone, forever. She would wake eventually, but for now, all she knew was him.

**A/N: I know it's a hopelessly short chapter, but it's hard to write such sad stuff. I hope i did ok, and i hope you enjoyed my first fanfic!**

**Purpledinosaur xxxx**


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